08 Apr 2015, 08:47 AM
I had my first HC 2 months ago. (Been out of town since...had no time to post this) It was fantastic. Knowing how to do it- with confidence- made a world of difference!
We invited 45 people and had 32 show up. Which was about 10 more than we could easily accommodate, so it was a little snug, but worked fine. (A few people had to sit in a corner area closer to me...not ideal...). The host was a friend and did a fantastic job.
I made over $500, which was great, given that I sold only 1 CD. (About half the audience already owned my CD, and most of the songs I played will be on the new, not-yet-finished one)
Things I'd change:
- Despite the fact that I KNOW some of the audience members and they are fans....I got only one hesitant offer to host. Bummer.... not sure how I can fine-tune that. (I emphasized "it doesn't need to cost anything, please consider hosting a house concert...." in my talk)
- I need to get my new CD done before I play more shows! I would've sold a lot of CDs had the songs I played been available.
- I would pass the mailing list around next time- most new people didn't sign up on their way out, like I hoped they would. (It was by the door, on the CD table)
Things I'll keep doing:
- One audience member was goofing around and started "the wave" before the show. The laughter really set the tone in a great way... humor early on=very good!
- I started a "House Party guest book" that I encouraged people to sign, doodle in, write comments, and had my husband take photos during the concert for the book. It's a fun memory book for me- but a great PR tool and way to explain house concerts to newbies, as well, if I'm talking to people in-person.
You can see photos and a song video here
I'd love to hear feedback on other people's experiences drumming up more HC offers!
Lara
We invited 45 people and had 32 show up. Which was about 10 more than we could easily accommodate, so it was a little snug, but worked fine. (A few people had to sit in a corner area closer to me...not ideal...). The host was a friend and did a fantastic job.
I made over $500, which was great, given that I sold only 1 CD. (About half the audience already owned my CD, and most of the songs I played will be on the new, not-yet-finished one)
Things I'd change:
- Despite the fact that I KNOW some of the audience members and they are fans....I got only one hesitant offer to host. Bummer.... not sure how I can fine-tune that. (I emphasized "it doesn't need to cost anything, please consider hosting a house concert...." in my talk)
- I need to get my new CD done before I play more shows! I would've sold a lot of CDs had the songs I played been available.
- I would pass the mailing list around next time- most new people didn't sign up on their way out, like I hoped they would. (It was by the door, on the CD table)
Things I'll keep doing:
- One audience member was goofing around and started "the wave" before the show. The laughter really set the tone in a great way... humor early on=very good!
- I started a "House Party guest book" that I encouraged people to sign, doodle in, write comments, and had my husband take photos during the concert for the book. It's a fun memory book for me- but a great PR tool and way to explain house concerts to newbies, as well, if I'm talking to people in-person.
You can see photos and a song video here
I'd love to hear feedback on other people's experiences drumming up more HC offers!
Lara